Mark 1:14-15

Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

We all know what we need to do when we are driving in the wrong direction: turn around. These days, I rely on satnav for most of my journeys, but every now and again, I trust my memory. Most of time that works brilliantly, but I have had a number of embarrassing experiences when I got things wrong. I remember one time when I was driving home at the end of the day. I wasn’t far from home, but I suddenly realised that I was driving north when I needed to drive south. All I could do was swallow my pride and turn around! That’s repentance – turning from the wrong direction to the right one.

Just like John the Baptist, Jesus preached a message of repentance because he knew that it was the only way for people to discover the good news of God’s forgiveness. Repentance is much more than merely regret or remorse. It’s being sorry enough to stop and walk in a new direction.

On the day of Pentecost, the punchline of Peter’s sermon was that the people needed to repent. That day saw the birth of the Church as people turned to God in repentance and were baptised. As they did so, Peter told them they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we turn our backs on the way we have been living, we need enormous encouragement and strength to head in a new direction. It’s not something we can possibly do by ourselves. No amount of human effort will be enough. We are completely reliant upon God’s Holy Spirit to fill us each day and to help us to walk in a new way.

Question

What has repentance meant for you personally?

Prayer

Lord God, I repent of the fact that I have so often gone my own selfish way. I ask you to forgive my sins and for the power of your Holy Spirit to help me live a new life in your strength. Amen